title: Detection and genetic characterization of porcine circovirus 2 isolates from the first cases of postweaning multisystemic and wasting syndrome in wild boars in Greece.
abstract: In 2002, postweaning multisystemic wasting syndrome (PMWS) was diagnosed in a European female wild boar (Sus scrofa), based on the detection of porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) DNA in various organs, including the uterus, and on histopathologic lesions. This is the first detection of PCV2 DNA in the uterus of a wild boar. Three years later (2005), a wild boar < 6-8 mo of age was found moribund. It presented wasting and dyspnea and finally died. PCV2 DNA was detected in tissue samples, and histopathologic lesions consistent with PMWS were observed. Both wild boars were from neighboring hunting areas in central Greece. Two PCV2 strains from the wild boars were genetically characterized and compared to other reported PCV2 sequences from wild boars and domestic pigs. The PCV-2 sequences from the wild boars in this study were closely related to each other and were grouped with two isolates from wild boars from Hungary. The phylogenetic analysis revealed that the virus might be transmitted between hunting areas. In addition, PCV2 may spread from domestic pigs to wild boars and vice versa.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Microbiology and Parasitology, University of Thessaly, Trikalon 224, 43100 Karditsa, Greece.
authors.forename: Marina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sofia
authors.forename: Charalambos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Billinis
authors.forename: Vassilios
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Psychas
authors.forename: Periklis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Birtsas
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sofianidis
authors.forename: Leonidas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Leontides
authors.forename: Nick
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Knowles
authors.forename: Vassiliki
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Spyrou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000821:virology; D017925:Circovirus / Q000145:classification* / Q000235:genetics / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece / Q000453:epidemiology; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000662:veterinary; D008297:Male; D009928:Organ Specificity; D010802:Phylogeny; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000662:veterinary; D053570:Porcine Postweaning Multisystemic Wasting Syndrome / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology*; D011247:Pregnancy; D015995:Prevalence; D012367:RNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D034421:Sus scrofa; D013552:Swine
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D012367:RNA, Viral